International toy giants Mattel Inc. have officially confirmed the integration of their Mattel Media division with CD-ROM publisher The Learning Company (TLC), forming a new division entitled Mattel Interactive. The UK arm of this new powerhouse will be divided into four distinct units - Home, Education, Entertainment and Value. Under the expert guidance of Bernie Stolar, formerly of Sega America, Mattel Interactive will strive to offer a wider range of software for the whole family. "Mattel have some of the strongest brands in the world," said Stolar. "I'm looking forward to helping shape Mattel's software and online product lines to further capitalise on their strengths today and make Mattel Interactive an even stronger interactive and digital media company in the future." Hurrah! More Barbie!

Pokémon frenzy has claimed another victim. Thieves struck two businesses in the Cutler Ridge Mall, Miami, over the Christmas period, making off with 200 packs of Pokémon cards worth $1,200 (around Ł750). They also pocketed a cheese log (?), coffee, various sauces and an unknown quantity of beef jerky!

The Japanese console chart was shaken up over the Christmas period following the release of Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka on Dreamcast. Yu Suzuki's masterpiece shot straight into the top spot, relegating Gran Turismo 2 on PlayStation to a respectable second. The rest of the top 10 was comprised entirely of PlayStation games, including Valkyrie Profile, Parasite Eve 2, Chocobo Stallion and Chocobo Collection.